>> LIVE FROM OMAHA’S NEWS ADLEER. KETV NEWSWATCH 7 AT 10:00, STARTS WITH BREAKING NEWS. ROB: PROSECUTORS TONIGHT SAY THEY INSURED FEDERAL LAWMAKERS FO LLOW THE LAW. A JURY IN LOS ANGELES CONVICTS NEBRASKA REPUBLICAN S.U. CONGRESSMAN JEFF FORTENBERRY ON ALL THREE FELONY CHARGES. GOOD EVENING. I’M ROB MCCARTNEY. JULIE: I’M JULIE CORNELL. THE JURY FINDS FORTENBERRY GUILTY OF "SCHEMING TO FALSIFY AND CONCEAL MATERIAL FACTS",ND A TWO COUNTS OF MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS TO FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS. THE THREE FELONY CHARGES EACH CARRY A MAXIMUM PENALTY OF FIVE YEARS IN A FEDERAL PRISON. KETV NEWSWATCH 7’S DAVID EARL HAS COVERED THIS TRIAL SINCE IT BEGAN LASTEE WK. ROB: HE’S LIVE WITH US OUTDESI THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES. DAD?VI DAVID: A CALIFORNIA JURY SAYS HE IS GUILTY AFTER THEY HEARD A RECORDED PHONE CALL BETWEEN HIM AND A FUNDRAISER HOST. WATCHING AND LISTENING TO TO RECORDED INTERVIEWS WHERE THE FEDS SAYE H LIED WHEN THEY ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW ABOUT FOREIGN MONEY IN HIS CAMPAIGN. HEARING THAT VERDICTFTER A JUST TWO HOURS OF DIBELERATION WAS DEVASTATING FOR THE FAMILY. HIS DAUGHTERS WERE CRYING IN COURT, HIS WIFE STAND EARLIER TODAY IN HIS DENEFSE. >> YOU WILL HEAR MY PHONE GO OFF, I’M GETTING BEAUTIFUL MESSAGES FROM PEOPLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD WHO HAS BEEN PRAYING FOR US AND PULLING FORS. U I WANTO T THANK MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE CELESTE FOR HER GIFT OF LOVING ME AND OUR MARRIAGE. SHE WENT UP THE ERTODAY WITH COURAGE AND DIGNITY. I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE PROUD. SHE IS MY HEROE. WE ALWAYS FELT LIKE ITOU WLD BE HARD TO HAVE A FAIR PROCESS HERE. THIS APPEAL STARTS IMMEDIATELY. DAVID: DO YOU REGRET COMING OUT HERE IN TAKI THENG MONEY? DO YOU WISH YOU HAD NOT COME OUT HERE TO DO THE FUNDRAISER? >> YOU HEARD SIX DAYS OF TESTIMONY, IT IS ALL OUT IN ETH OPEN. WE MADE OUR CASE. DAVID: HOW ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN? >> WE WILL SPEND SOME TIME AS A FAMILY AND THAT IS WHAT WE’RE DOING RIGHT NOW. THANK U.YO DAVID: THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'’ OFFICE PRESENTED A METICULOUS CASE RUN BY THE CORRUPTION UNIT WHICH WAS INVESTIGATING FOREIGN INFLUENCE AND CASH FROM LEBANESE -- BIIOLLNAIRE AND HIS ASSOCIATES. THE JURY HEARD PNEHO CALLS AND INTERVIEWS AND PROSECUTOR STATE THEY WERE GRATEFUL THEY RETURNED A GUILTY VERDICT. >> IIST GATRE WHEN YOU HAVE SIGNIFICANT RECORDED EVIDENCE. OUR VIEW IS THAT IT WAS A SIMPLE STORY OF A POLITICIAN CAUGHT UP INHE T CYCLE OF MONEY AND POWER. HE LOST HIS WAY. I THINK THAT IS CLEAR. >> HAVE YOU HAD -- THIS QUICK BEFORE? >> IT WAS A FAST JURY. I SAW THEM TAKING NOTES. WE THINK THEY WORKED VERY HARD. WE SAW I--T THEY SAW IT IS A SIMPLE STORY WITH COMPELLING EVIDENCE. ETH DEFENSE ARGUMENT THAT HE WAS ENTITLED TO DIFFENTRE TREATMENT THAN ANY OTHER PERSON UNDER INVESTIGATION WAS NOT A DEFENSE THAT THE JURY FOUND COMPELLING. IT WAS VERY VINDICATING TO SEE THE HARD WORK OF THE FEDERAL AGENTS AND OFFICE ROUNDLY SUPPORTED BY THE VERDICT ON ALL COUNTS. >> WHAT ABOUT THE SYSTEM ITSELF? >> HOPEFULLY THAT LAWMAKERS SHOULD FOLLOW THE LAW. WE HOLD THEM TO A HIGH STANDARD. THEY ARE CRITICAL IFE W WANT TO EXPECT ANYONE TO FOLLOW THE LAW, IT STARTS WITH THE LAWMAKERS. THAT IS EVEN MORE PARAMOUNT WHEN THE INVESTIGATION ITSELF GOES TO ELECONTI INTEGRITY WHICH LAWMAKERS SHOULD ALSO HOLD CLEAR AND TRUE TO THE HER AND JOBS. OVLYER LAWMAKERS WLIL SEE THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKES IT VERY SERIOUSLY TO HOLD THEM TO DO THAT JOB. WHEN IT COMES TO FOREIGN INFLUENCE AND CAMPAIGN VIOLATIONS, THOSE ARE PARAMOUNT. DAVID: ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY THEIR ANSWENGRI QUESTIONS AFTER THE VERDICT. THE DEFENSE ARGUMENT WAS THAT CONGRESSMAN FORTENBERRY DID NOT HEAR THE PHONE CALL CLEARLY BETWEEN THE HOST AND HIM OR THE HOST TOLD HIM THAT FOREIGN MONEY ENTERTAIN CAMPANIG -- ENTERED HIS CAMPAIGN. IT ALSO SURROUNDED HIS MEMORY, THAT HE DID NOT REMEMBER THE PHONE CALL WHEN ASKED ABOUT IT. THE JURY TOSSED THOSE ARGUMENTS ASIDE. CONGRESSMAN FOR BERRY’S SENTENCING IS SET FOR JUNE 28 BACK HERE IN -- CONGRESSMAN FORTENBERRY’S SENTENCING IS SET FOR JUNE 28 BACK HERE IN LOS ANGELES. EYTH DO NOT SEE HIM AS A FLIGHT RISK. LIVE IN LOS ANGELES, DAVID EL,AR KETV NEWSWATCH 7. JUE:LI FORTENBERRY’S CHIEF VALRI IN THE NEBRASKA REPUBLICAN PRIMARY IS NORFOLK STATE SENATOR MIKE FLOOD. ROB: IN JANUARY, GOVERNOR PETE RICKETTS AND FORMER GOVERNOR DAVE HEINEMAN ENDORSED FLOOD OVER FORTENBERRY, BECAUSE OF FORTENBERRY’S LEGAL ISSUES. WE’VE REACHED OUT TO FLOOD. HE HAS DECLINED TO COMMENT ON FORTENBERRY’S CONVICTION TONIGHT. JULIE: THE LEADING DEMOCRAT ON TWITTER TAYOD OFFERED THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AND SAID THAT NOW IS THE TIME FOR NEBSKRAA TO ELECT NEW LEADERSHIP PROMISING TO START WITH INTEGRITYND A PROMISED TO FIGHT FOR ALL NEBRASKANS IF ELECTED. JULIE: -- B:RO LOCAL LEADERS RESPONDING TONIGHT. JULIE: NEBRASKA DEMOCRATIC CHAIR JANE KLEEB SAYS ON TWITTER, QUOTE, "THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, WITH THEIR ONE-PARTY GRIONP OUR STATE, CONTINUES TO SHOW THEY ARE CORRUPT AND SHAMELESS. FORTENBERRY’S LIES VIOLATED THE TRUST OF NEBRASKANS AND THE LAW." ROB:T I IS UNCLEAR IF FORTENBERRY WILL STEP DOWN FROM CONGRESS. THERE IS NO INDICATION IF YOU WILL CONTINUE HIS REELECTION CAMPAIGN. LIE:JU THEYAD H ONE LAST CHANCE TO PROVE REASONABLE DOUBT. THEY SAID HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE PHONE CALL WHEN HE WAS TOLD ABOUT FOREIGN CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIS.ON THEY SAID HE W SETAS UP. B:RO HIS WIFE TKOO THE STAND TO DEFEND HER HUSBAND TODAY. SHE TESTIFIED THAT CELL PHONE SERVICE IS SPOTTATY THEIR HOME THAT THEIR HUSBAND HATES FUNDRAISING AND DOES OTHER THINGS TO DISTRACT HIMSELF DURING THAT. JUE:LI THE CONGRESSMAN COULD GET A MAXIMUM OF FIVE YEA